Seven Year Itch
by ruji
Summary: Chapter 11 up! Tezuka and Fuji break the news to their friends. All seems well, but due to job matters Fuji has to be stationed out of Tokyo...! TezukaFuji. yaoi. OC.
1. Chapter 2: Respite

**Note:** In this fic, Tezuka and Fuji are in their mid-twenties, working adults and co-habiting. This is a sequel to **Restless**, which I did not post on because of rating concerns. The first segment of this entry was actually written as an omake part in **Restless**. To read **Restless**, please head over to http://ruji_DOT_livejournal_DOT_com/25966_DOT_html (replace _DOT_ with '' ). Please be aware that **Restless** is an NC-17 fic and contains explicit content, not suitable for the little ones! :D

**Disclaimer:** I own none of these pretty boys mentioned.

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**Respite**

Tezuka found himself staring at his lunchbox in bewilderment. Usually, Fuji would have just packed some simple food like sandwiches, sushi rolls or curry rice for him. There were sushi rolls today, but that wasn't all. There was a wide assortment of ten or so sushi rolls. Together with a small portion of omelet rice, and a small portion of grilled eel. In other words, the whole works was in his lunchbox. Including little decorative pieces of heart-shaped seaweed. A soft gasp in awe made him realize that he wasn't the only one staring at his lunchbox. Nearly all the co-workers sitting at the same lunch table as him were staring at his lunchbox.

"Waa… Tezuka-san is so lucky! Look at the hearts… it must be a really cute girl who prepared this for you huh!" Tezuka stared at the colleague who said that with wide eyes. Soon, his lunchbox had become their lunchtime topic. They were all discussing and probing him for information about his 'new girlfriend'. Tezuka's brow twitched in annoyance. Clearing his throat, Tezuka excused himself from the table and went outside to have his lunch, where he could have some peace. Having a few minutes to spare before his lunch hour ended, Tezuka made a call to Fuji.

"Yes, Tezuka-san? Did you enjoy your lunch?"

"… I was just about to ask you about that."

"Was it bad?"

"It wasn't bad. But wasn't a need for such an extravagant lunch."

"Well... at least that should make it clear that you're taken."

"… we'll settle this when I get home, girlfriend."

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Fuji came home to the sight of Tezuka seated on the sofa, folding their laundry. He hurriedly toed off his shoes and moved towards Tezuka, dropping his bag on the floor without much care. It was past nine, he was home way past their dinnertime. And if his understanding of Tezuka hadn't faltered, the bespectacled man probably hadn't had dinner.

"I'm sorry I got home late… some work cropped up." He muttered as he leaned down to hug Tezuka. The taller man stood up and wrapped his arms around Fuji instead, resting his chin on the latter's shoulder.

"Why couldn't I get you on your phone?" Tezuka asked softly, holding Fuji tightly in his arms. 'I was worried' was left unsaid.

"Battery went dead. Have you had dinner?" Fuji asked as he headed for the Kitchen. Tezuka followed, "No, I haven't. I was waiting for you."

Fuji smiled as he took the sticky note he had left for Tezuka –to tell him that the sushi in the fridge was for dinner- off the fridge door and stuffed it into Tezuka's pocket. He took out a large plate of sushi from the fridge and placed it on the table. Tezuka recognized the variety of sushi he had seen in his bento earlier that day. Which reminded him, he had to talk to Fuji about that bento he made.

Fuji told Tezuka about the interesting things he saw when he was out at work today, while Tezuka just silently listened, eating his dinner and sipping on his cup of tea. He also took up the responsibility of making sure Fuji ate, feeding him pieces of sushi when he noticed Fuji had been talking for too long and had forgotten about his dinner. Sometimes, he wondered if Fuji did that deliberately so that he could be fed. But then, he also thought that Fuji was a wonderful storyteller. He seldom found it annoying no matter how much Fuji had to share with him. And on those certain occasions when he wasn't in the mood for stories, somehow Fuji could sense it and he wouldn't start his chatter. The things Fuji shared about were often unusual and interesting, mostly about certain objects or people he came across. It was little wonder why Fuji was so adored by his niece.

Dinner was finished rather quietly, apart from the few short stories Fuji told Tezuka about. Tezuka kept away the clothes he had folded earlier on while Fuji washed up the dishes. When Fuji came out from his shower, Tezuka was reading in bed. One of those novels about gay rights that Fuji had bought but never read. Smiling to himself, Fuji snuggled up next to Tezuka, staying still for a moment before looking up at Tezuka with a grin.

"Not going to tackle me tonight?" he asked teasingly. Tezuka shook his head, putting away the novel and his spectacles.

"I don't understand why you buy such books. The story is so exaggerated and unrealistic." Tezuka commented dryly. Fuji shrugged, snuggling closer when Tezuka put an arm around him,

"Probably… perhaps I thought it could offer some guidance with handling homosexual relationships, but realized that it was too unrealistic, so I chucked them aside. Something bothering you?" Tezuka stared into clear aquamarine pools for a moment. Sometimes, he wondered if it was Fuji who really understood him so well, or was it that Fuji was psychic. He was, indeed, slightly bothered by that bento.

"Syusuke. You don't have to make such an elaborate bento for me. What we did last night was enough to solve the problem." Fuji hummed softly, his lips curved in his usual smile.

"I really don't mind if your colleagues are thinking that you have a girlfriend. I'd go ahead and tell them that I'm your wife." Fuji muttered, a soft chuckle falling from his lips. Tezuka leaned down slightly to press a kiss to Fuji's forehead.

"I know… but I feel that's being unfair to you." Fuji smiled sweetly, tilting his head to kiss at Tezuka's neck. He knew what Tezuka was driving at. Had Tezuka been in his shoes, he would have felt undignified for being thought of as a woman. Fuji laid his head on Tezuka's chest, closing his eyes and listening to Tezuka's heartbeat as he spoke softly,

"It's more than enough that you think that way, Kunimitsu. Besides… I don't really think I'm treated unfairly. I don't care what your colleagues think. You're more important. And, though I do the cooking, you're the one who does the cleaning in this house, so we're even."

Tezuka lifted his hand to stroke Fuji's hair gently, and they laid in comfortable silence for a while.

"Syusuke…" Tezuka started, pulling Fuji off his chest so that he could look straight into his eyes, "Do you really wish to… be my wife?" Tezuka asked rather awkwardly. For a moment, time seemed to still as wide azure eyes stared into serious brown eyes in some sort of surprise and puzzlement. Fuji's head tilted to the side slightly as he continued to stare at Tezuka, a gleam of mirth in his eyes as he smiled affectionately and asked,

"Is that a proposal, Tezuka Kunimitsu?" Tezuka's eyes widened slightly. His vision was blurred without his glasses, but he thought he saw a look of expectance on Fuji's face. Truthfully, he merely asked that question out of curiosity. And, though he was slightly regretful to say, the thought of marrying Fuji had never crossed his mind. They were happy as they were, so he didn't see the need to change anything. But perhaps, he thought, perhaps Fuji didn't think the same way as he did. Perhaps Fuji longed for something more, but never brought it up to his attention. And now that Fuji mentioned it… perhaps they could really do it. They had been in a relationship for seven years, and he never once doubted the thought of wanting to have Fuji by his side. He looked at Fuji, a hand coming up to lightly caress Fuji's cheek,

"If it's a yes?" he asked, almost in a whisper. He stared at Fuji, wondering what his answer would be; though he had no idea what kind of answer he wanted either. He felt his heart clench, and for a second it was almost difficult to breathe. Fuji smiled, and leaned forward to kiss Tezuka tenderly, before pulling back and playfully ruffling tousled brown hair,

"Too unromantic, Kunimitsu. You can do better than that. Ask me again when you're ready."

An odd pang sunk in as Tezuka froze on the spot, though he did not have a clue what that feeling was and why he was feeling it. He nodded absently, only breaking out of his moment of blankness when he heard Fuji chuckling softly. Shaking his head briefly to get his mind back on track, he then reached for the switch to turn off the bedside lamp and moved to lie down, pulling Fuji along. Fuji snuggled closer and latched on to him like a koala bear, muttering against Tezuka's shoulder,

"It's cold…" Tezuka briefly wondered how he was going to sleep with a grown man latched on to him like that, sighing softly as he shook his head in defeat. He pressed a kiss to Fuji's head, a soft smile coming to his lips when he saw the smile on Fuji's face.

"I love you, Kunimitsu. Goodnight." Fuji mumbled softly, nuzzling his cheek against Tezuka until he was in a comfortable position. Tezuka wrapped an arm around Fuji and relaxed against his pillow, closing his eyes with a quiet reply,

"Hn."

-end-

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A/N: Thanks for reading! And you see that little button on the left there? You clicking it makes me happy. Reviews and comments much loved :) 


	2. Chapter 3: Responsibility

Okay, the readers win. Since I got such nice reviews asking for more, here's more! And even more to come, so drop me your reviews and comments okay:D

Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine. Or they'd have been married since ever.

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**Responsibility**

It took Tezuka 3 days to decide that he would propose to Fuji, properly and officially. He had given the matter serious thought and even went as far as to take their future lifestyle and expenses into consideration. Sure, Fuji had his own income and would most probably like to continue with his career after they got married, but what was the point in marrying Fuji if he was incapable of providing Fuji with a comfortable life wasn't it? Since he was young his father had told him he had to work hard so that he could let his wife and children lead a good life in the future. Well, Fuji didn't exactly fit into his concept of a wife, and he was almost sure they wouldn't –or couldn't, to be more precise- have children, the general concept of getting married should remain the same, he supposed.

The apartment they were living in was good enough for the two of them, but he hoped to buy Fuji a house with a garden, since Fuji seemed to enjoy gardening. That, and a big bathtub, because Fuji enjoyed the ritual of soaking in the bath whenever he was particularly tired. He had to admit he had picked up that habit from Fuji, after having lived together for 5 years.

It took Tezuka another 1 more day to prepare himself before officially proposing to Fuji. That evening after work, Tezuka made a trip to the property agent's office to pick up a few documents and brochures. As soon as they got married, he planned to take Fuji house-hunting. He wanted to give Fuji his dream home, knowing that Fuji's rather homely nature. Leaving the property agent's office with a large envelope full of information, Tezuka then went into a travel agency to pick up more brochures. A honeymoon is a must, isn't it? Then, he made a detour to the florist to get a bouquet. In the entire span of their relationship, Tezuka had only given flowers to Fuji a mere three times. Two of these three times were impromptu situations when they went hiking and he saw a beautiful flower. He rarely associated flowers as gifts for men, but Fuji seemed to be delighted when he received flowers from him.

Tezuka spent a long while at the florist, deciding on which flowers to buy. When he told the lady he needed a bouquet for a proposal, she immediately suggested a large bouquet of red roses. Red roses were romantic, but too common. He thought the yellow roses were eye-catching and bright, and wanted to buy those, but the lady advised him not to, informing him that yellow roses signified jealousy and infidelity. Tezuka's eyes widened slightly and he politely thanked the lady for her advice. She had just saved him from ruining his perfect plan. She suggested lilies, but Tezuka thought they looked too aloof and regal. The sunflowers looked nice and Fuji would've probably liked them, but sunflowers didn't seem to go along with proposals. The lady then suggested white lilacs, which ere supposed to mean 'first love'. He thought the notion suited well, since Fuji was indeed his first love, but Fuji wasn't just his first love. Fuji was his only love, and that was what this marriage was about. Besides, the lilacs looked too fanciful for his liking. He finally decided on tulips –which signified a declaration of love and symbolized a perfect lover- much to the lady's relief.

Carrying the two large envelopes in one hand and the extravagant bouquet of twenty tulips in his other hand, Tezuka then briskly walked back to his car. He hadn't told Fuji that he would be back late. Fuji was probably waiting for him, with dinner all prepared and lay out on the table. He felt his heartbeat quicken as he drove closer to home. There was a thought nagging at the back of his mind, but he could not recall what he was missing. He looked to the side to check on the things in the passenger seat, trying to figure out what he had left out, but could not manage to think up anything before the traffic light turned green again. He started to wonder when would be a good time to propose. After dinner sounded like a good plan, but then he'd have to find a way to hide the bouquet of flowers, which was almost impossible since the bouquet was rather big, and it was nearly impossible for him to hide anything from Fuji. It seemed like he'd have to do it once he got home.

Parking his car and turning off the engine, Tezuka leaned his head against the headrest and closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply. The fifteen minute drive home had been the longest fifteen minutes in his life. He could hear the thumping of his heart in the still silence. Gathering himself, he then picked up his things and got out of the car, climbing up to their apartment on which was on the third storey.

Quietly, he opened the door and stepped in, thankful that Fuji was busy in the kitchen and didn't see him coming in. He quickly toed off his shoes and left the envelopes on the side table. He heard Fuji's voice coming from the kitchen, asking if he was home. He answered curtly and moved to stand by the archway leading to the kitchen, trying his best to hide the bouquet behind him. As soon as Fuji came out from the kitchen, he pulled him into his embrace and kissed him firmly on the lips. Fuji's eyes widened in surprise, his body tensing for a second, before he relaxed and responded to the kiss. Tezuka felt his racing heart calm down slightly as soft lips nuzzled against his own tenderly. Pulling away just enough for a breather, Tezuka leaned his forehead against Fuji's and mumbled against the other's lips, "Will you marry me, Syusuke?" Fuji's eyes opened, and blinked, before he tilted his head and looked at Tezuka wondering if he was hearing things. "Eh?" Kneeling down on one knee, Tezuka then held out the flowers to Fuji, looking up at the beautiful youth, "Marry me, Fuji Syusuke. I promise to give you a good life."

Fuji stared at Tezuka for a moment, wide blue eyes staring straight into sincere warm hazel ones. He took a long look at Tezuka, before taking the bouquet from Tezuka and kneeling down as well. He smiled tenderly, leaning forward to press a chaste kiss to Tezuka's lips. "You don't have to, really. Ask me again when you're ready, Kunimitsu." Fuji smiled and pressed another kiss to Tezuka's lips when he saw the blank expression on Tezuka's face. He hoped he didn't hurt Tezuka by giving him such a response, but what Tezuka had offered just wasn't what he was looking for. Rising to his feet, Fuji then took Tezuka's hand and pulled him up to a stand as well. "I'll take the flowers though… they're lovely. Thank you, my love." He said with a happy smile as he admired the tulips. They must have cost a bomb, he thought. Cupping Tezuka's cheek gently, he then told Tezuka to go wash up, while he set the table for dinner. Tezuka said nothing, only nodded like an obedient child and turned to head for the bedroom.

Fuji watched Tezuka's back with a slightly sad smile. It was obvious that Tezuka had been disappointed with his answer. He would have to find a way to comfort him later, after dinner. He brought the flowers into the kitchen so he could put them up in a vase. Just before he opened the cabinet to reach for a vase, an idea struck him and a grin stretched over his lips. The tulips were beautiful, and he knew just what to do with them that would cheer Tezuka up as well…

-end-

-for now-

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Button down there clicky clicky:DD Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed. 


	3. Chapter 4: Rouse

Disclaimer: I own none of the MALE characters mentioned. :D

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**Rouse**

Tezuka's gaze shot up upon hearing the soft knocks on the door. The black wooden door opened even before he had made any response to allow whoever it was into his office. A lanky lady walked into his office with a natural breeze, making feel as if this office was hers instead of his. There was only one person in the whole company who dared behave so at ease in his presence.

"Tezuka-kun" she greeted with a cheeky smile, seating herself in the chair opposite of him and swiveling to the side slightly so that she could cross her long legs.

They both held managerial positions in the company, but she was one year his senior even though she looked a few years younger than he did, and made sure to remind him of it by always addressing him as Tezuka-kun. Even his boss didn't call him that, but she did, with most glee. Her office was just next to his and they had spoken a couple of times. He had initially thought she was a shy and reserved person when they first met, but found out her true colors after a few months of working next to her. She was a confident and intelligent lady with a dark sense of humor. She kind of reminded him of Atobe, except that she also had a mysterious aura very much similar to Fuji.

She wasn't particularly close with anybody in the company, but no one particularly detested her as well. They were pretty similar in that sense, except that a few people rather disliked Tezuka for being overly serious and hardworking. She, on the other hand, was much more laid back and creative with her work, though that didn't mean her capabilities could be underestimated. The few buggers who assumed she made it to her current position with her looks had learnt the hard way that she definitely had the power to summon a storm.

"How may I be of assistance, Miyajou-san?" Tezuka asked dryly, looking at the young woman. "Mou, how many times have I told you to call me by my name when we're in private?" she said teasingly, her shoulder-length hair swaying along with the slight tilt of her head. Tezuka let out a soft sigh, straightening himself and shooting her with a serious look, "What exactly do you want, Yatsuki-san?" Miyajou leaned back in the chair casually, "I saw you spacing out through your window, so I came in to find out what exactly made our most conscientious Tezuka-san so distracted." Tezuka frowned slightly. He certainly did not realize he had been spacing out.

"Don't you have any work to do, Yatsuki-san?" Miyajou only grinned, the light shrug of her shoulders told Tezuka she didn't really care. "I could ask the same to you, Tezuka-kun." Tezuka's eyes widened slightly at the retort, before proudly informing her that he had completed his work already. "But still, it is unusual for you to be spacing out. Something happened?" she asked with a concerned gaze. "Well, yes, but it is out of your means to help, thank you for your concern." Tezuka tried to make it clear that he didn't appreciate other people probing into his affairs, but it seemed that the only message which got across to her was that the issue on Tezuka's mind was personal. "Hnn had a tiff with your boyfriend?" she asked.

A soft chuckle fell from Miyajou's lips when Tezuka glared at her and cleared his throat. She was the only one in the entire company whom he told he was gay, and he'd muchly like to keep it that way. She had came up to him barely a month after he started working in the company, and asked him rather directly, "Tezuka, you're gay, right?" completely catching him off guard. He had no idea what made him nod in response, and even lesser idea how she found out about his sexuality. There were rumors going around that she was a lesbian, but Tezuka could care less about those rumors. Sometimes, though, he would quietly wonder if the rumors started because every man in the company who tried to woo Miyajou got rejected. Whatever the truth was, it seemed she got pretty comfortable around him after that incident, almost to the extent of treating him like her buddy, which annoyed Tezuka sometimes. However, he felt fairly comfortable talking to her most of the time. The strange tension of their relationship felt somewhat like how it used to be between him and Fuji, when they were students and were plainly platonic.

"So what did you do to piss him off?" she asked as though she was siding Fuji. Tezuka gave her a hard stare, "We did not fight, for your information." Miyajou nodded, her lips pouting just slightly, looking as if she was in deep thought. She then leaned her elbows on the table, showing much interest in the subject now that Tezuka had started to open up about it. "Then what is it that's bothering you so much? Unsatisfactory performance in the bedroom?" she asked teasingly, trying to hold in a chuckle. Tezuka's back straightened in a snap, glaring at the ridiculous woman, "Miyajou-san! Enough of your absurdity." He muttered in a crisp voice, his hands moving to clear up his desk seeing that it was almost time to knock off, hoping the gesture would send Miyajou back to her own office to clear up as well. Unfortunately, that was wishful thinking on his part, for she hadn't in the least bit given up on probing. "Aw come on. Tell me then. You know my lips are sealed. And even if I really can't offer any help, at least it'll feel better getting it off your chest." She leaned back in the chair with a light shrug, making it obvious that she had no intention to leave until she got what she wanted. She flashed him a knowing smile, silently urging him to spill the beans.

Tezuka let out a soft sigh, sinking back into his chair and closing his eyes for a moment, willing for that migraine to go away. He took off his glasses, and massaged his nose bridge with his fingertips. "I proposed to him." He muttered dryly while keeping his eyes closed. He had no intention to know her reaction, though he could sense from her reply that she was thrilled to hear that. "All right! And? And so?" Tezuka sighed again, merely shaking his head in reply. Miyajou's shoulders sank. "What? He rejected you? I thought you guys were totally in love?" Tezuka put his glasses back on, and opened his eyes to look at his colleague. "I have no idea why. That's what's bothering me. He's says to ask him again when I'm ready." Miyajou raised an eyebrow, "So you weren't ready?" Tezuka shrugged lightly. He had thought he was, but apparently Fuji didn't think so. He went on to tell Miyajou about his preparations that evening before proposing to Fuji, hoping she could find out the reason behind the failure of his plan. He had to admit she was more insightful most of the time.

Miyajou leaned back in the chair, her gaze drifting around the room while she listened to Tezuka's detailed explanation. He made it sound more like a legal procedure than an intimate romantic affair, though she felt he had indeed put in a lot of effort. She held her fingers up as she went through the points, "You got the housing plans, honeymoon plans… flowers… what about the ring? You didn't get a ring?" she almost exclaimed out loud, looking at Tezuka. Of all things he had to forget the most important one. It was little wonder his boyfriend had rejected him. She instantly broke out into laughter as she watched the expression on Tezuka's face. She was sure he felt like banging his head into the wall at that moment. But the very next second, Tezuka had bolted up from his chair and grabbed his briefcase and blazer, seemingly in a rush to leave the office. She grabbed hold of his arm when he walked past her without a word. "Where are you going?" Tezuka looked down at the woman in the chair for a moment, and moved to grab her wrist instead, "You're coming with me."

Miyajou laughed as she strapped herself into the passenger seat of Tezuka's car. He had dragged her along with him to go shopping for a ring, stating that she probably had a better idea of what type of ring he should get for a proposal. "You do realize that I've never met your boyfriend before, right? And it's not like I've ever proposed to anyone." She said to Tezuka while making herself comfortable in the seat. She had no reason to be helping him with HIS proposal, but she didn't mind tagging along just for the fun of it.

Ten minutes into the ride and Tezuka had begun to regret asking her along. She was having plenty of fun teasing him and asking him questions about Fuji and him. But at least she had suggested a few places that sold jewelry with nice designs. It wasn't until they had stepped into the shop that he started regretting his actions again. The salesgirl had immediately regarded them as a couple and started showing him a few designs that were popular amongst the ladies, while giving him glances that suggested he should buy them for Miyajou. And that she just wouldn't do anything to help the situation, instead she just stood there with that annoying grin on her face. Tezuka straightened himself and cleared his throat, "It's not for her," he stated plainly, staring straight at the dumbfounded salesgirl. Miyajou was on the verge of breaking out into laughter, she could only nod when the salesgirl looked at her.

After spending about half an hour in the jewelry shop, Tezuka finally managed to find a design he was satisfied with. "Now that you've got the rings, what are you intending to do? You aren't thinking of pulling off the same stunt, are you?" Miyajou asked, as they waited for the rings to be engraved. Just as Tezuka was pondering over the question, his cell phone rang. Politely excusing himself, he then answered the call.

"Syusuke."

"Kunimitsu. I was buying some crackers and tea from that shop you like and I saw your car, are you in the area?"

"…yes. Are you going home soon?"

"Mm. You? Let's go back together."

"Uh… sure. I'll meet you at my car in ten minutes."

"All right, darling." Fuji chuckled as he closed his phone and slipped it into his pocket.

Miyajou grinned at Tezuka when he returned, "Syusuke?" she asked teasingly. Tezuka nodded stiffly, "He's in the area." He didn't quite understand the excited smile on Miyajou's face. The only thing on his mind now was how he was going to explain his purpose of going to that shopping street, and how he was going to explain Miyajou's presence. It would have been too impolite to ask her to go back on her own since he had dragged her along. But he just had a feeling that he shouldn't let Fuji and Miyajou meet.

His feeling was proved right as soon as they met up. Miyajou seemed too happy to meet Fuji and Fuji seemed to be just as friendly in response. Tezuka wondered if he had told Miyajou too much about Fuji, and told Fuji too much about Miyajou. Before he knew it, Fuji had invited Miyajou over for dinner. "Oh I would love to!" she answered instantly, but then quickly adding on another line after she sensed Tezuka glaring at her through the rearview mirror, "… but I've got to go home and feed my puppy. But thanks for the invitation." Tezuka felt slightly relieved that she decided to leave him alone for the day.

"Now that I think of it… what were you two doing at that shopping street?" Fuji asked, turning his head to look at Tezuka. Tezuka tensed for a moment, his hands tightening on the steering wheel as he thought over whether or not to tell Fuji the truth. His gaze shot up to the rearview mirror to look at his colleague in the backseat when he heard her laugh. "Ah it's embarrassing. I wanted to get a gift for my brother but I had no idea what to get, so I dragged Tezuka-kun along with me. I needed a man's opinion." She chuckled as she explained. Fuji seemed to buy the explanation, and went on to further elaborate how manly Tezuka was, which left the two of them laughing heartily while Tezuka could only roll his eyes in embarrassment and tried to focus only on the road.

He couldn't feel more thankful when they finally arrived at Miyajou's house and dropped her off. Now, the only problem he had was how he was going to propose to Fuji again…

-end-  
-for now-

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Had some difficulty writing this chapter. And then I had even more difficulty trying to upload it here... heh. But anyways. thanks for reading! Hope you liked Miyajou as much as I enjoyed creating her. :) Reviews much loved!! 


	4. Chapter 5: Resist

Disclaimer: I own none of the MALE characters mentioned. D:

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**Resist**

Stretching lazily, Fuji let out a soft yawn as he opened his eyes slightly, only to make sure that it was morning before his eyes fell closed again. A satisfied smile stretched across his lips as he curled up and wrapped the blanket tighter around his body. He loved Sundays like these. Sundays when he could take his time to laze around in bed before getting up; Sundays when he could stretch and still feel the tender ache in his muscles left over from passionate love making the night before; Sundays when he could hide under the covers and bask in Tezuka's warmth and scent… which by now he realized that was missing. Peeling his eyes open, Fuji rolled around to look for Tezuka on the other side of the bed, but found no trace of him at all. Just as he was about to unwillingly pull himself out of bed, the door opened and Tezuka came in with a tray in his hands.

"Of good, you're awake. I won't have to be the bad guy and disrupt your sleep then."

Fuji smiled and stretched again, still reluctant to leave the comfortable warmth of the thick blanket.

"Breakfast in bed? How rare…" Fuji commented with a teasing grin. He slowly pushed himself to a sitting position, pulling the blanket along with him. Tezuka said nothing, only smiled softly as he placed the tray down on the bed in font of Fuji. There were several boxes of various sizes on the tray. Fuji looked up at Tezuka with a bright smile, feeling somewhat excited even though he wasn't even fully awake yet. Tezuka sat down next to Fuji, leaning over to press a light kiss to Fuji's temple.

"Start with the biggest."

Fuji quirked and eyebrow up at Tezuka, idly wondering what Tezuka had up his sleeves. Taking the instruction anyway, Fuji then opened the largest box with much anticipation, only to find steamed white rice. He turned to look at Tezuka, slightly puzzled, but Tezuka only smiled lightly and egged him to go on with the other boxes. Fuji opened the second largest box to find a portion of Saba, grilled to perfection and garnished with just a sprinkle of coarse salt and pepper, nothing else. It was like what they always ate when they went camping and had to catch their own dinner from the stream.

The anticipation rose in Fuji again as he opened the next largest box. Miso soup. Fuji's very own recipe, to be exact. It was a mixture of red and white miso, with thin radish slices and a small bunch of leafy sprouts. He often cooked this for their meals, but this was the first time Tezuka cooked it for him. It surprised him pleasantly that Tezuka even knew the proportion of red and white miso paste used.

The contents of the next box left Fuji slightly baffled. It looked like a piece of sweet omelet, no doubts about that. But the color was a little strange. It looked slightly greenish instead of the bright yellow sweet omelets usually were. Unable to contain his curiosity, Fuji picked up his chopsticks and cut a small corner from the perfectly squared piece of egg. His eyes widened as the rich taste filled his mouth. The smooth texture and rich aroma of well-beaten sweetened egg was well-expected, but there was this extra ingredient in it that made his taste buds tingle delightfully. It didn't take a second for Fuji to recognize that taste. Wasabi. Tezuka had created wasabi omelet for him. The excitement and tingly feeling was spreading from his mouth to all parts of his body.

"How is it?" Tezuka asked, his deep voice caressing Fuji's mind as his lips grazed against the shell of Fuji's ear. Fuji felt like letting out a moan, if only the thought of getting aroused by an omelet didn't seem so terrible wrong.

"It's delicious… tastes like you. So sweet and rich, with that unexpected spicy tingle… exciting." Fuji whispered, almost purring into Tezuka's ear like a satisfied kitten. Tezuka felt his face heat up instantly. His heartbeat quickened, not only from Fuji's teasing, but also from the fact that there was only one small box left unopened on the tray.

"The last box…" Tezuka mumbled, catching Fuji's attention before it could wander elsewhere. Fuji tore his gaze away from Tezuka's face and eyed the small lacquered box expectantly. Fuji picked the box up. It felt light, almost as if it was an empty box. Opening the box, all he saw was a bundle of white ribbon. Pulling the ribbon out, Fuji's eyes widened as he read the words – Will you marry me? – written on the ribbon in neat handwriting that obviously belonged to Tezuka. The other end of the ribbon was tied to a silver ring.

Fuji momentarily forgot to breathe as he held the ring between his fingers. It was a simple silver band, with intricate designs exquisitely carved on it, and their names engraved on the inside. Fuji turned to look up at Tezuka, still at a loss for words.

"You like it?" Tezuka asked, a smile on his lips as he leaned his forehead against Fuji's, gazing fondly into wide azure eyes. Fuji nodded, a sweet smile stretching across his lips, "It's beautiful…"

Excitement surged through Tezuka's veins as he received the reply that Fuji liked the ring he had chosen. Bearing high hopes that Fuji would accept his proposal, Tezuka took out the brochure for the house he had been looking at for the both of them and placed it in Fuji's lap.

"You'll like this even more."

Fuji looked at the brochure, skimming through the contents and barely acknowledging the information that it contained.

"What's this for?" Fuji asked, genuinely puzzled.

Tezuka smiled softly, holding on to Fuji's hand, "I promised I would give you a good life, didn't I? How do you like this house I've chosen? If you don't like it we can always look for a more suitable one."

Fuji was silent for a long moment, just staring at the brochure in his hands and trying to conjure an appropriate reply. For a moment he thought Tezuka had finally understood what he wanted, but now he wasn't so sure of that. He didn't need a beautiful house, nor did he need Tezuka to provide him with a good life. All he needed and wanted was Tezuka. In fact, he didn't even need Tezuka to marry him, as long as they could be together always. But it seemed Tezuka was reading too much into the idea of getting married.

"Kunimitsu…" Fuji started, softly and cautiously, tilting his head to look at Tezuka, "It's a lovely house… but I'm very happy with what we have now. Perhaps a woman would be elated by your generous offer, but I'm not a woman. I'm touched that you are willing to go to such an extent to take care of me, but… that's not what I'm looking for, Kunimitsu."

Tezuka stared at Fuji for a moment, and Fuji heard an imaginary crack behind the muscles of Tezuka's chest. Fuji felt his heart clench as he saw the look of confusion, disappointment, and hurt in the pair of hazel brown eyes he loved the most. He gave wrapped his arms tightly around Tezuka's waist, leaning his head against the other man's muscled chest.

"I'm not rejecting the house, nor am I rejecting you, Kunimitsu… I love you. I really do. But if we're really getting married, I want something else from you. Something… I hope you can realize yourself." Fuji muttered, wondering why he just had to be so particular about it, making the both of them so miserable. He felt a large hand patting his head lightly, stroking his hair for awhile before it rested atop his head.

"I'm… going out for a run. Keep the ring for me first, all right?" Tezuka said softly, craning his neck to briefly kiss Fuji's head before he made a move to stand up. Fuji slowly straightened himself, his arms loosening around Tezuka's body. He wondered if he had hurt Tezuka, he wondered if Tezuka would give up, he wondered if Tezuka would be mad at him. Holding the silver ring tightly in his fist, Fuji watched blankly as Tezuka moved to exit the room, a thousand thoughts running through his mind.

"Kunimitsu!"

Tezuka stopped in his tracks, not sure if he wanted to turn around and face Fuji. He had no idea what went wrong, why Fuji had rejected him yet again. Had he done anything wrong? What was it that Fuji wanted that he hadn't given him, hadn't thought of? Taking a deep breath, Tezuka turned around. Fuji smiled at him. He could sense the traces of apology and sadness and longing in Fuji's smile, but Fuji was still smiling for him.

"Thank you for the breakfast… I like it very much. Come back soon, ne?"

Tezuka smiled, just a brief tug of the corners of his lips as he nodded once and then left for his run. Fuji slid his finger through the silver band, staring at it for a moment, before he took it off again, and put it back into the box. It was beautiful and it fit perfectly… but he just had to hold back a little more, before he could wholeheartedly put it on and proudly adorn it for the rest of his life.

Leaning back against the headrest, Fuji reached for the miso soup and slowly sipped on it, taking his time to savor the rich flavors of the meal Tezuka had made for him.

-end-  
-for now-

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[A\N: Sorry this took so long!! I had some hard time writing Fuji's rejection... TT Anyways, hope you all had a great Christmas and Happy New Year... though this fic isn't a very happy way to start the year.. ; Reviews and comments much appreciated! Thanks for reading!  



	5. Chapter 6: Resent

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters mentioned.

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**Resent**

"… Fuji… Fuji!"

Azure eyes snapped out of their dazed state and Fuji looked up at his best friend with a sheepish smile, briefly apologizing for spacing out. The redhead pouted slightly and plastered his palm across Fuji's forehead.

"What is wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell? You look so listless."

Belatedly realizing that he had let his guard down, Fuji pulled away from Eiji's touch and smiled casually, "I'm all right. Just a little tired since I've been working like a mad horse for the past three days…"

"You shouldn't overwork yourself nya. Hasn't Tezuka said anything?"

"Tezuka..? I've barely had the chance to talk to him. By the time I get home he's already asleep. I don't wish to awaken him, so I sleep on the couch, but the next day I wake up and find myself in bed and in pajamas."

Eiji grinned, leaning across the table slightly and speaking in a hushed tone while eyeing Fuji with a gleam in his big blue orbs.

"Hehe… maybe he did it with you while you were asleep…"

Fuji's eyes widened momentarily, before they reduced back to slits as Fuji lightly poked the redhead's forehead.

"We haven't done it for a week and a day." Fuji muttered with a soft sigh.

Eiji stared at Fuji with a puzzled gaze, biting his lower lip slightly for a moment before finally asking, "Isn't that… normal?"

"Normal?"

Fuji stared at Eiji, a smirk stretching across his lips as his hands came up to cup Eiji's cheeks.

"You poor kitty! Has Oishi been mistreating you like that all this while?" The honey-haired man teased.

Eiji flushed the shade of his hair, wide blue eyes pining to his best friend as he stuttered slightly,

"M-mistreating?! What do you mean mistreating nya? Oishi has always been super nice to me."

"Three times a month isn't very satisfactory, is it, Eiji?" Fuji asked with a grin, watching his friend flush another shade deeper, a pout forming on his lips.

"W-well, it's the quality that counts not the quantity. Isn't that right?"

"Saa… it's true that it's the quality that counts, but trust me Eiji, quantity counts too." Fuji said softly with a grin playing on his lips. Eiji gulped down his glass of milkshake in attempt to calm himself down.

"Fuji nya… h-how many times…?"

"You mean Kunimitsu and me?" Fuji asked teasingly. Eiji nodded meekly, a tint of pink returning to stain his cheeks.

"Saa… I'd say about four times a week? On average, that is."

"Four times?! A week?!" Eiji muttered, trying hard not to create a scene in the café. Fuji only chuckled as he sipped on his iced tea.

Their meeting was cut short when dinner time rolled by and Eiji had to buy dinner home for Oishi. Fuji could only watch his friend leave, slight envy bugging him for Tezuka had gone overseas for work.

Reaching home, Fuji walked to the kitchen, thinking of cooking up a simple dinner for himself, but came out of the kitchen empty handed. He silently cursed Tezuka's boss for sending him away on such a day of all times, when he was tired and hadn't seen much of Tezuka for the past three days. He headed for the bathroom and was pleasantly surprised when he opened the bathroom door and saw a whole floor of rose petals. On the counter sat a beautiful bottle of sparkling clear liquid that was of a lilac color. With it was a small card from Tezuka, asking Fuji to enjoy his bath and assuring him that he would be home as soon as he could. A smile stretched across Fuji's lips. Tezuka was always so thoughtful at the most unexpected times. He really ought to stop planning all those proposals and let it take its own course, Fuji mused.

Fuji prepared the bath and poured in a generous amount of the bubble bath Tezuka had prepared for him. He felt better almost instantly once he stepped into the bathtub. The foam that had built up carried the little speckles of glitter that was in the bubble bath and sparkled under the light. It looked beautiful and smelt wonderful. Fuji made a mental note to ask Tezuka where he bought this bubble bath. Closing his eyes, Fuji sank further into the tub so that the warm water covered him up to his neck, letting his exhausted mind and body unwind under the spell of the pleasing aroma and warmth.

Just as he was about to doze off comfortably, the home phone rang, jolting him wide awake. He was reluctant to leave his comfort zone, but considering that the call was probably from Tezuka, Fuji hurriedly stood up and got out of the tub, hastily wrapping a bath robe around him before he rushed to the living room to answer the call.

However, Fuji was put to dismay when the voice he heard was a woman's voice; belonging to someone he didn't quite fancy talking to. And that woman didn't sound too happy to hear his voice either.

"May I speak to Kunimitsu please?"

"Kunimitsu has been sent to ShangHai for job matters, Tezuka-san."

"You must be Fuji-kun, I suppose?"

"Yes. Would you like me to take a message?"

Fuji was starting to get irritated. The call had interrupted his state of relaxation, and it wasn't Tezuka who called. Instead, he had to deal with that tone in Tezuka's mother's voice that suggested she didn't care about properly holding a conversation with him.

"You're still living with Kunimitsu, Fuji-kun? I thought you should have graduated from University a few years ago. Correct me if I'm mistaken."

"No, you're not mistaken at all. I have indeed graduated and we are still living together."

An awkward laugh came from the other end of the receiver, and Fuji's brows furrowed slightly. He was sure there was nothing funny about what he had just said.

"I hope you don't intend on sharing an apartment with Kunimitsu forever, Fuji-kun? You boys will have to start your own families at some point of time. I would think it isn't early to start planning now."

Fuji's fingers fiddled with the sash of his bathrobe, his patience wearing thin quickly as fatigue began to take over once again.

"I'm not sure if Kunimitsu or myself have any plans to start a family anytime soon, but I do believe we are both quite satisfied with our way of living presently, Tezuka-san. If there's nothing I can do for you, please excuse me."

Receiving no response from the other end, Fuji then briefly greeted the elder Tezuka a good evening, and then hung up.

Switching off all the lights, Fuji then returned to the bathroom. Having lost his mood for indulgence, he showered quickly to get rid off whatever suds that stuck to his skin in his previous haste to get out of the tub. Drying himself, he then walked into the bedroom and pulled out one of Tezuka's shirts from the wardrobe, putting it on and then crawling into bed. He contemplated giving Tezuka a call, but decided against it. Tezuka was probably tired from the flight and work. He also didn't want to worry Tezuka, because he was sure Tezuka would be able to tell that he was feeling down, even through the phone, no matter how he tried to disguise it.

Sighing softly, Fuji pulled the blanket up to his chin and closed his eyes, letting his exhaustion take over.

-end-

-for now-

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A/N: ahhhh another hard time writing this. am I losing my ability to write?! OO or maybe it's just more difficult on me to write angsty!Fuji. anyways, I hope this chapter wasn't too bad. thanks for reading!

as always, comments and reviews much appreciated, click the button!! next chapter will be a happier one, I promise:)


	6. Chapter 7: Revelry

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters mentioned. **  
**

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**Revelry**

Standing in front of the mirror, Fuji held up two shirts against his chest. He couldn't decide which to wear. Eiji had insisted that he dressed up for the occasion. It was his birthday after all, and it only occurred once every four years. Ever since they had been friends, Eiji always made it a point to throw a party for him whenever his birthday came by. He wasn't totally fond of parties, but it was a nice gesture, and also a good way to meet up with friends, so Fuji didn't really mind.

"Syusuke…"

"Ahh. Just in time. Which should I wear?"

"Did my mother call while I was away?" Tezuka asked, looking into Fuji's eyes and ignoring the pieces of garments. Fuji froze for a split second, before he looked up at Tezuka with a casual smile on his face.

"Why the sudden question?"

"She just called and said some weird things… did she say anything odd to you?"

Fuji remained silent as the words she told him the other day replayed in his mind.

"She did call, didn't she? What did she say to you, Syusuke?"

"Can we not talk about this now please?" Fuji asked, looking up at Tezuka and putting the two shirts down on the bed. Tezuka nodded and moved forward to wrap his arms around his lover before he caused more damage to Fuji's mood. It was Fuji's birthday; he should have been more sensitive and waited till the next day no matter how important he thought that issue was.

Tilting Fuji's chin up to capture slightly pouting lips in a kiss, Tezuka then offered to help Fuji change. Tezuka's fingers slowly undid the buttons on Fuji's shirt as he trailed kisses along Fuji's jaw line and neck. Pressing his palms flat on Fuji's chest, he then swept his hands across Fuji's smooth chest to push the shirt open, his thumbs deliberately ghosting over dusky nubs as he did so. A soft moan escaped Fuji's lips as he closed his eyes and leaned into the touch.

"You're good at making things better, Kunimitsu…" Fuji muttered as Tezuka pushed his shirt off his shoulders, strong fingers gently kneading his shoulder blades.

"Not really. I'm only good at making you feel better."

"Mm… but you should stop now or I'll want more and we'll never step out of the house." Fuji almost purred in pleasure, a soft chuckle falling from his lips.

Pressing a light kiss to Fuji's forehead, Tezuka then picked up the white tailored shirt from the two shirts on the bed and put it on for Fuji.

"Don't wear this pair of pants. Wear the leather one." Tezuka said softly, giving Fuji's butt a light pat.

Fuji eyed Tezuka with a smirk on his lips. Tezuka was being naughty tonight. Tezuka liked seeing him in those leather pants because they hugged his figure tightly, but he seldom liked him to wear it out because he thought they were too revealing, especially since he knew that Fuji would have to wear a g-string or go without any underwear or the outlines would show.

A surge of excitement flowed through Fuji at how adventurous Tezuka was tonight. Not only had he agreed to the party being held at a gay club, he had even asked Fuji to wear what he usually forbid him to. He got even more excited when Tezuka came out of the bathroom wearing the deep v-neck sweater he bought for him last Christmas. Fuji had a feeling that this birthday would be the best one yet.

Arriving at their destination, Fuji was immediately greeted with a throw of confetti as soon as he stepped into the club, and then hurriedly ushered into the VIP lounge that Eiji had reserved for their party that night. It seemed everyone from their old team had already arrived, together with some friends from rival teams. With a grand announcement from Eiji that the birthday boy had arrived, the party kick-started into a wild medley of drinks and games. While Fuji was busy mingling around and receiving well wishes from his friends, Tezuka merely sat in a corner sipping on mock-tails, cautiously refraining from all drinks containing alcohol because he would have to drive home later on.

Shortly after they cut the birthday cake, Eiji and Momoshiro had dragged Fuji on to the dance floor, insisting that Fuji danced with them. Tipsy from the drinks he had and high from the good company and fun, Fuji went with the flow, getting into the groove easily.

Tezuka watched from afar, keeping an eye on Fuji while admiring Fuji's sensual dance moves. Fuji seldom danced like that. He attributed the performance to the influence of alcohol. It wasn't a bad sight at all. Perhaps he would have to ask Fuji for a private performance after this, when they were alone.

"Tezuka." Inui greeted, handing Tezuka a drink. Tezuka acknowledged his friend's presence, and took the drink, taking a sniff and inspecting it, wondering if it was any of Inui's latest recipes.

"Don't worry. Non-alcoholic." Inui explained, understanding that Tezuka was abstaining from alcohol that evening because he drove. Letting his guard down slightly, Tezuka nodded and took a sip. It was sweet with a slight tang, and it tasted like fruit punch. It seemed he had thought too much into it.

"This is a present for Fuji… from all of us. Eiji told me to hand it to you because he's planning to get Fuji drunk. There's a 78 percent chance that you'll need to use it tonight." Inui said with a slight smirk on his lips, handing Tezuka an envelope. Raising an eyebrow slightly, Tezuka accepted the gift. He would have to keep a closer look on Fuji in case Eiji and Momoshiro took things too far with trying to make Fuji drink.

Just as he turned his attention back to Fuji, he saw a tall Caucasian man dancing around Fuji, obviously flirting with him, and even going to the extent of occasionally grinding his hips against Fuji. Fuji seemed to be enjoying the attention, and Eiji and Momoshiro weren't doing anything to discourage their interaction. Finishing his drink in one gulp, Tezuka thanked Inui for the drink and headed down to the dance floor. He walked up to Fuji, ignoring the excited chattering between Eiji and Momoshiro. Wrapping an arm around Fuji's waist, Tezuka pulled his lover against him and firmly pressed his lips against Fuji's. Azure eyes widened in surprise initially, but once Fuji recognized that it was Tezuka, he closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss, keeping his eyes closed until the kiss was over. Melting into Tezuka's embrace, Fuji tilted his head to look at the Caucasian with a dreamy gaze and a smirk on his lips, waving his hand slightly, "Sorry, game's over." Eiji let out a small excited whoop and rushed off to tell Oishi what just happened.

Feeling a migraine coming on from all the noise, Tezuka led Fuji off the dance floor, intending to head back to their reserved area. However, Fuji grabbed him by the wrist and led him to a corner of the club. He backed himself against the wall and pulled Tezuka against him, looking up at Tezuka with half-lidded eyes.

"Make out with me now, Kunimitsu…" he muttered. Tezuka stared at Fuji for a moment. He could feel the heat radiating from Fuji's skin. It would be better if he could take Fuji home before Fuji really got drunk. Pressing Fuji even closer to the wall, Tezuka leaned down and kissed Fuji deeply. Fuji moaned softly into Tezuka's mouth as the exhilaration rushed to his brain, his hands clutching at Tezuka's sweater. Tezuka was rarely ever agreeable of such acts of affection in public. A thought suddenly hit his mind that he should have wished for everyday to be his birthday when he cut his birthday cake just now.

"We should go home now, Syusuke." Tezuka whispered into Fuji's ear, his long fingers briefly skimming under the waistband of Fuji's leather pants, before coming to rest on Fuji's hips.

"So soon? Eiji said he was going to ask the bartender to concoct a special drink just for my birthday…" Fuji muttered while pushing himself off the wall and slinging his arms around Tezuka's neck.

Tezuka shook his head lightly, "You're only six. You're too young to be drinking so much." He teased lightly, detaching Fuji's arms from his neck and held Fuji's hand firmly in his, then led them back to the VIP lounge.

Once they entered the VIP lounge, the couple was greeted with applause and some whistling from their friends.

"Not bad, Buchou. It seems we've underestimated you all these years." Echizen muttered with a smirk, leaning against a wall coolly and sipping on his drink. Deep brown eyes quickly sought out Momoshiro and Eiji from the crowd and dealt them with a glare. The same brown eyes then widened slightly when Tezuka looked down at his partner and noticed the blush on Fuji's cheeks. It was usually Fuji teasing his friends until they blushed, not the other way round. He wondered if it was the effect of all the alcohol Fuji had taken that evening. He stared at the pink tint for a while and felt an urge to kiss Fuji senseless there and then. Quickly bringing his thoughts back on track, he then politely thanked their friends for the celebration and briefly apologized that they had to leave already.

"Aha! Can't wait to get into Fuji-senpai's pants already, Buchou?" Momoshiro jested, and then quickly ducked behind Oishi as Tezuka sent him a killer glare. Ignoring the new ruckus Momoshiro's comment had caused, Tezuka and Fuji quietly bid their farewells and left the rest of the party in Eiji and Oishi's care.

-tbc...-

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A/N: Intended to post this for Fuji's birthday, but I got started on it exactly on the night of FUji's birthday... Oh well! Better late than never! Smut is guaranteed in the next chapter if that's what you're all waiting for! XD However, because the smut will be too explicit for this site, you'll have to find it at ruji. if you're interested!

As always, comments and reviews much loved. Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 9: Resolution

Apologies for the long wait!  
Chapter 8 of this series is too hot to be posted on , and thus is only available on my Livejournal account. Please do head over there if you're interested.

Disclaimer: None of the boys mentioned belong to me.

Enjoy!

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**Resolution**

Reality slapped right into their faces the following Monday when they returned to their respective offices.

An underling had made a mistake with the numbers on a quotation to their client and Tezuka was assigned to clean up the mess. It was just his luck that the client was one of their regular customers, and one of the most troublesome ones at that. Not only that, the company's quarterly review was around the corner and he had to make preparations for it, compiling reports and statistics and preparing for a whole week of meetings with the board of directors. He barely had time to even eat outside his office.

As for Fuji, a colleague of his had to take emergency leave as his pregnant wife was hospitalized due to premature labor, and being the next most senior journalist on their team, he had to pick up from where his senior left off, on top of finishing his own projects. For two full days he was shuttling in and out of the office, only managing to take short naps in between while he was waiting for the editors to work on his articles. Not to mention he was still aching from their wild tryst at the Golden Butterfly.

It wasn't until Thursday that they finally got to have a meal together, and could go to bed at the same time. Tezuka thought Fuji looked somewhat pale, but the latter just brushed it off saying he was just tired. He curled up under the blanket and was asleep even before Tezuka could take off his glasses, switch off the side lamp and get comfortable under the sheets.

Tezuka didn't think too much into it, thinking that Fuji could take care of himself. But his thoughts were proven wrong just ten minutes before his meeting with the managers of the other departments when he received a call from Fuji's assistant telling him that Fuji had come down with high fever after they got caught in the rain. Tezuka looked out of his office window, brows furrowing as he noticed the downpour outside. He had been so absorbed in his work that he failed to notice the pelting raindrops hitting against his window for the whole afternoon.

He was about to text Fuji when Miyajou came into his office to call him for the meeting. He stared at the half-typed message on his phone and hesitated for a moment, before hastily putting it in his drawer and gathering the documents he needed for the meeting. "What's up? You look odd." Miyajou commented, staring hard at the bespectacled man. "Nothing's up. Make a move or we'll be late for the meeting." Tezuka said curtly, straightening himself. "Did anyone ever tell you that you suck at lying?" Miyajou said with a laugh, turning on her heels to exit Tezuka's office. Tezuka had already tuned his mentality for the meeting, but Miyajou's comment made him think of Fuji again. Fuji did. Fuji always knew when he was lying.

Realizing that Tezuka wasn't behind her, Miyajou turned around again to find Tezuka still rooted to the same spot, staring at the drawer as if trying to burn a hole in it with his glare. "Got a problem?" she asked, folding her arms as she waited for Tezuka's reply. Knowing Tezuka, it had to be a big problem for him to fret over it like that. If it was any ordinary issue he would have put it aside till after the meeting. "Did something happen to him?" she asked, having a hunch that it involved Fuji. She hadn't known Tezuka for a very long time, but so far it seemed to her that the only thing that could make him distracted was Fuji. Lifting his gaze to stare at the woman at his doorway, Tezuka then picked up his documents and moved out of his seat. "His colleague called to say that he's down with a fever. I'll call him after the meeting." He said in a cold tone as he moved out of his office, closing the door behind him and walking ahead of Miyajou.

"Do you think you can wait till then?" She suddenly asked. Now it was her turn to stay on the spot. "Of course. We're late, let's go." He answered calmly, though his brow made a twitch in annoyance. "You stupid man." She muttered under her breath, and pulled Tezuka back into his office to avoid attention. She took the files from Tezuka's hand and stared up at the taller man.

"You can wait doesn't mean he can wait. Fever can be serious! Especially since it was his colleague who called, it must be pretty serious. You should go home now."

"Don't fool around now, Miyajou-san. We have a meeting to attend."

"It's just a weekly meeting; it's not a very big deal. And you've already prepared all the documents. I'll handle it, just go."

Tezuka stared at the woman and saw the kind of determination and defiance in her eyes that reminded him of a certain troublesome child prodigy he once had on his team. Before he could form up a sentence in rebuttal, Miyajou had walked over to Tezuka's secretary and told her that Tezuka would be leaving the office early today. She then smirked and gave the bespectacled man a little wave, before she headed to the conference room with Tezuka's documents in tow.

Heaving a sigh, Tezuka turned and returned to his office to pack up, wondering if it was his destiny to meet such defiant characters wherever he went. But right then he couldn't thank Miyajou more for making him go home; he was indeed very worried about Fuji. Though, he wouldn't admit it himself.

When he got home, the apartment was dark, except for the faint glow of light coming from their bedroom. Carelessly tossing his briefcase on to the couch, Tezuka then strode across the hallway towards the bedroom, as quietly as he could just in case Fuji was asleep.

True enough, Fuji was asleep. Sitting down on the side of the bed as lightly as he could, Tezuka then reached out to touch Fuji's forehead to check if his fever had subsided. Fuji was still slightly feverish to the touch. Tezuka couldn't explain the kind of anxiety and worry he was feeling then, even though the rational side of him knew that it was probably just a cold. Without even realizing it, his breathing had quickened as he stroked Fuji's hair and caressed his cheek. As far as he could remember Fuji had never fallen ill. Ever since they started living together, Fuji had nursed him back to health through two bouts of cold and one serious ligament injury, but Fuji had never even come down with the slightest of a cold.

Sleepy eyes drew open and a soft sigh of relief escaped Tezuka's lips as azure orbs looked up at him, and then crinkled into a smile. They were a little hazy and not as sharp and bright as usual, but those were the eyes he loved.

"Why are you home so early?" Fuji asked, his voice a little soft.

"Miyajou-san sent me home upon learning that you were down with a fever."

"As I thought, someone from my office called you. I told them not to call…"

"Were you planning to give me a shock when I got back then?"

"It's just a cold… I didn't want to worry you." Fuji muttered, trying to sit up a little, but Tezuka made him lie back down.

"I would rather worry about you… at least that means I still have you around." Tezuka said after a short span of silence.

Fuji smiled and reached out to caress Tezuka's face, "Silly. There are other nicer and better ways to know that I'm around."

Tezuka held the slender hand against his face, then bringing to his lips to press a kiss to it. "I want you to be around for a long time more, you know."

"Don't make it sound like I'm about to die. It's just a cold." Fuji said with a chuckle.

"I'm serious. You've never fallen ill, so I never knew how it felt like to worry about you like that. It's kind of nerve-wrecking, for a first timer."

"You're supposed to be the calm and logical one in this relationship, I thought?" Fuji teased softly, giving Tezuka's hand a gentle squeeze.

"Promise me, that you'll call me when something like this happens again? It's scarier to be told by someone I don't know."

Fuji couldn't help but chuckle, "All right. I promise."

"And I think I know now… what you wanted." Tezuka muttered, eyes turning serious. Fuji looked up at him with a puzzled gaze, not quite getting the drift.

"You are already an irreplaceable part in my life, Syusuke." Tezuka started, holding Fuji's hand tightly as he looked into blue eyes, "Will you… allow me into your life... until time makes it impossible…?" he asked, that sensation of his heart clenching and breathlessness coming to him again.

Fuji's eyes widened and he stared wordlessly at Tezuka for a good long minute.

"Is that… a proposal, Tezuka Kunimitsu?" he asked, feeling his heartbeat quicken.

"Not a very good moment, but… yes. Even if it's not legal in Japan, will you marry me, Fuji Syusuke?"

Tears welled up in Fuji's eyes and he chuckled at how cliché it was to cry while being proposed to. Being ill and tired probably accounted for most of the reason behind his tears, but also because Tezuka had finally realized what he wanted. He didn't want Tezuka to marry him because he felt responsible for him. He didn't need a caretaker, or a nice house, or an expensive ring. He wanted Tezuka to want it as well, and not because he questioned him about it. Marriage wasn't a responsibility or a commitment, to him it was a bonding of two souls and two lives.

Fuji sat up and threw himself at Tezuka, hugging him tightly. Tezuka could only wrap his arms around Fuji as well, hoping that indicated a positive answer since the other hadn't answered him yet.

"Yes… yes, I will. I will marry you." He whispered into Tezuka's ear, tears rolling down his cheeks as his eyes closed into a warm smile.

"You will..?" Tezuka asked, his eyes widening, wondering if he was hearing things.

Fuji pulled away slightly to look at Tezuka, nodding in response. "I love you, Mitsu…" he muttered, leaning in to kiss Tezuka, but stopped just short of his lips, remembering that he was sick.

"What's wrong?" Tezuka asked tenderly, looking at the shorter man, his fingers moving to wipe away Fuji's tears.

"I don't want to pass it to you…"

Tezuka smiled softly and responded by leaning forward to claim Fuji's lips in a deep kiss.

-end-  
-for now-

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[A/N: Yes, I am still alive. Still writing, yes. But veeery slowly though, evidently. My apologies. Thank you so much for reading, especially if you've been following this series right from the start. Comments and reviews much appreciated.

It's not over yet!! XD]


	8. Chapter 10: Respect

**Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me.**

Hello hello I have resurfaced! Chapter 10 yay!

Warnings/Notes: Sort of OOC due to long-winded speeches.

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**Respect**

Kunimitsu glanced over at Syusuke for the fourth time since they got into the car. Syusuke had been fiddling with the seatbelt since they hit the road, something he had never done before.

"Are you sure you want to do this? We can still turn back now, before we hit the expressway." He asked, looking over at Syusuke again, studying his expressions for a moment before turning his gaze back on to the road.

Syusuke turned to look at Kunimitsu, smiling despite the ball of nerves in his stomach. "I want us to do it."

Understanding the emphasis on that, Kunimitsu nodded and kept his eyes on the road, leaving Syusuke to his thoughts for the rest of the journey.

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Syusuke reached for Kunimitsu's hand as they walked up the driveway towards the house. Kunimitsu gave Syusuke's hand a gentle squeeze, knowing that Syusuke was nervous and probably needed the support and reassurance right then. He had never seen Syusuke this nervous before. It wasn't that Syusuke hadn't met his parents before; they had been friends since junior high and Syusuke had come over to his house quite a handful of times. His parents had had a good impression of Syusuke, his mother always used to comment on how well-mannered and sweet Fuji-kun was. But that was until they moved in together after they got into the same university, and his mother then realized that the relationship they shared was more than friendship.

"I'm home," Kunimitsu announced as he stepped into the house, Syusuke following closely behind him. Kunimitsu's parents had been expecting them; they were already seated in the living room, waiting for their arrival. Syusuke bowed and greeted them politely, a casual smile plastered on his face, masking his anxiety. Kunimitsu led Syusuke over to the living room and they sat down facing the two elder Tezuka's.

"What was it that you wanted to discuss with us, son? You sounded so serious over the phone; your mother has been harping on it all morning."

Kunimitsu looked over at Syusuke, and then turned to look at his parents with a determined gaze, holding Syusuke's hand tightly.

"It's not really a discussion. Father, Mother, Syusuke and I are getting married." He said in a definitive tone, his pack proud and straight.

The elder Tezuka stared at him, at a loss for words, while Ayana promptly looked like she was going to cry. Though, it was obvious to them that those were not tears of happiness.

"There's no room for discussion? Do you have any idea what you are saying?" Kuniharu asked, glancing over at Syusuke for a moment, before shifting his gaze back on to his son.

Syusuke felt the urge to say something, to ask them not to blame or reprimand Kunimitsu… but one look at Kunimitsu's face and he knew this wasn't the time and place for him to speak his mind. He hadn't seen such an intense look on Kunimitsu's face for a long time. A look that said he was going to win control of this situation, at any cost.

"I know, Father. It may be absurd in Japan's society, but it is of utmost significance to the both of us."

Ayana could bear no longer, and gave them a piece of her mind; even though by the Tezuka Family's strictly upheld customs and traditions, the women had no right of speech in family discussions like these.

"Kunimitsu! You have no idea what you're talking about, the consequences! I won't deny that Fuji-kun is a nice boy, and I have never interfered with your choice of friends, but you ought to be old enough to know that your responsibilities as a descendant of this family does not end with graduating from college and succeeding in your career. You are the only heir to this family, my son!"

Fuji's lips quivered a little. He had known all that, all along. But somehow, hearing it from Ayana just made it more realistic and that bit more hurting.

"Mother, I am aware of my responsibilities. And I am aware of the consequences." Kunimitsu replied solemnly.

To Fuji's surprise, Kunimitsu brought their linked hands to the surface of the tea table in front of them.

"I won't ask for your forgiveness, for being an unfilial son. But this is who I am, and Syusuke is who I want to spend the rest of my life with. In fact, I hadn't even intended to tell you of this plan of ours. It was Syusuke who insisted we come, because he respects you as my parents, and he knows very well that you have expectations of me as your only son."

An awkward silence hung in the air for a long moment. Fuji's grip on Tezuka's hand subconsciously tightened, and he could feel Tezuka's grip tightening as well. He took a deep breath and looked at the elder Tezukas with a serious gaze, revealing azure orbs.

"May I say something?" he asked politely, though the smile on his face had long disappeared.

Ayana looked away, thinking to herself if she should have forced an end to their relationship back then when she had first noticed something odd about it. But then again, she wasn't quite sure when it all began. Kuniharu didn't say anything, but he looked over to Fuji, as if waiting for him to say something.

"Tezuka-san, Ayana-san. I'm not asking to be accepted into your family, neither am I taking Kunimitsu away from you. Like Kunimitsu has said, it is an absurd thing to do in Japan's society. We aren't expecting you to recognize it as well. We have no idea how long we will be together, or where life will take us to in the future… but there's one thing I'm sure about, and that is, that Kunimitsu will still be the son he has been all these years."

Kuniharu took a deep breath, and turned his gaze to his son, staring at him as rampant thoughts ran through his mind. He couldn't deny that Kunimitsu had been a wonderful son all these years. He had been obedient, respectful and hardworking as a child; and now he was an outstanding, responsible and dignified adult. Kunimitsu was his pride and he never once doubted that Kunimitsu would ever cease to be.

"Kunimitsu." He said solemnly, "Have you thought through it? Are you absolutely clear of all the responsibilities and consequences of such a decision, and despite all that you are sure you want to go ahead with it?" he asked with a heavy heart.

Not a trace of reluctance or hesitance passed Kunimitsu's face as he nodded and answered firmly, "Yes, Father. I am sure I want to do this. Please forgive my selfishness."

Kuniharu nodded then, though it wasn't clear if that was a sign of understanding or acceptance. Kunimitsu and Syusuke could only sit still as a deafening silence filled the room.

"Fine." Kuniharu finally said after a long moment. Ayana looked to her husband with widened eyes.

"Have you lost your mind as well?" she asked, unbelieving that her husband had agreed to their son's ridiculous request. Kuniharu turned to look at Ayana, brows furrowed in the same fashion Kunimitsu does.

"Fuji-kun is right. We are not losing a son. In fact, we are gaining a son." He said calmly, briefly glancing over at Fuji. Fuji smiled, his heart lightening up as he heard those words.

"What's the use of gaining a son? He's not going to carry on the family line for you." She pointed out brutally. Kunimitsu was their only son. She would be at fault as well if the Tezuka family line ended at Kunimitsu. "I don't even dare think of the consequences if Father finds out."

"Grandfather knows, Mother. Actually, he has seen through it years ago." Kunimitsu said, looking over at Fuji with a knowing glance, the corners of his lips curving into the briefest of a smile. Ayana could only stare at her son, at a loss of words.

"Ayana, Kunimitsu is our only son. I want him to be happy. Don't you too?" Kuniharu asked, placing a comforting hand over Ayana's clenched fist.

Ayana looked at her husband, not knowing what to say. Of course she wanted Kunimitsu to be happy. She also knew that Fuji was a nice boy. It was just that, she couldn't accept the fact that her precious perfect son was not as perfect as she imagined him to be. He wouldn't be getting married with a sweet, gentle girl; and he wouldn't be giving her adorable grandchildren who were carbon copies of her precious perfect son. Instead, he was going to marry a charismatic boy who looked too pretty for a boy.

She could only comfort herself by thinking that Fuji actually wasn't too far off her expectations of her imaginary daughter-in-law. At least he was well-mannered, respectful to his elders, and intelligent. Most importantly, he was the one her precious Kunimitsu cherished. She had never seen her boy smile at anyone the way he smiled at Fuji. She could tell that Kunimitsu truly adored Fuji. All she could hope now, was that Fuji wouldn't break her boy's heart.

-----------

Kunimitsu and Syusuke stayed over that night. As they cuddled up in Kunimitsu's room, they couldn't help but reminisce over the years they have went through together; the times they spent in that room. Back then they always had to keep things under wraps. A stolen kiss, a discreet touch, a few precious moments spent in each others' arms, always alert and careful not to be found out. Ironically, they were back here now, Syusuke wrapped in Kunimitsu's embrace as they made do with sleeping together in a single bed instead of the king-sized bed they had gotten used to.

They hadn't been found out, they had been accepted.

-end-

-for now-

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Thanks for coming with me so far. I'm really sorry if I missed out replying to your comments sometimes. I either forget, or just got too lazy. But I do read all of them, and I'm really thankful for all the encouraging comments. Reviews and comments much appreciated this time too! There's more to come, I promise! ^^


	9. Chapter 11: Reasoning

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned.**  
Summary: Seven Year Itch Chapter 11 - Tezuka and Fuji break the news to their friends. All seems well, but due to job matters Fuji has to be stationed out of Tokyo...?!  
Warnings/Notes: 2132 words woot! Trying out with a new writing style in the first half.

FFnet Edited version. To read NSFW version please go to my LJ.

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**Reasoning**

"You what?!!" Eiji exclaimed, eyes wide as saucers as he belatedly realized that everybody in the café had turned to look at him. He quickly ducked behind the menu, glaring at Fuji as if blaming him for causing his outburst.

"I'm marrying Kunimitsu." Fuji said for the second time, an amused smile on his lips as he watched his best friend's expressions change.

Eiji eyed his friend suspiciously, "What did you threaten him with?"

Fuji frowned, and threw a packet of sugar at Eiji's face. "I'll have you know he proposed to me. Why would I have to threaten him, do I seem so desperate?"

Eiji grinned sheepishly and shrugged as he reached for another spoonful of parfait.

.

"Tezuka? You're not joking, right…?" Oishi asked with an awkward smile.

Tezuka stared at Oishi with a serious gaze as he calmly took a sip of his green tea. "Why would I be joking about such a matter?"

Oishi laughed awkwardly, "That's true. But… I don't quite get it. You're going to walk the aisle and all that?" he asked, surprising himself when the image of Fuji in a wedding gown came to mind rather easily.

"No, we're not going to do that. It's really more like a promise between the two of us than a ceremony for world recognition." Tezuka explained. "I'll have a Chashuu Ramen."

Oishi nodded, and belatedly realized that he had been so overwhelmed by the news that he had forgotten what he had wanted to eat for lunch. He quickly looked through the menu, but ended up ordering the same as Tezuka because he couldn't focus his thoughts. All that filled his mind now was the idea of his junior high teammates getting MARRIED.

.

"Are you gonna have a party or something then?" the redhead asked excitedly, licking on his spoon though he had already finished the parfait.

Fuji chuckled, "Saa… we haven't made any plans yet. But what I had in mind was just a simple get together with our close friends… maybe over dinner and a few drinks."

"I was considering having it at Kawamura Sushiya." Tezuka said as he reached to take off his spectacles. The steam from the hot ramen was fogging them up.

"Kawamura Sushiya? Taka-san would be so excited! Well, as a matter of fact, I'm sure everyone would be excited for the both of you… I really wonder how you can act so calmly over this."

Fuji couldn't help but chuckle at how excited Eiji was. It almost seemed as if Eiji was the one getting married, not him.

"A bachelor party is in place then! But it would be odd if both you and Tezuka were at the same party, isn't it…" Eiji rambled on, excitedly planning what games they should play and what they should do at the party.

.

"Have you told your parents?" Oishi asked, looking at Tezuka with a serious gaze.

Tezuka nodded, "We went to my parents' house last weekend. It was an eventful discussion, but they eventually gave us their blessings."

For a moment, Oishi looked relieved. "What about Fuji's parents? Have you met them too?"

Tezuka had to shake his head to that. "He doesn't want to go back. You know how he is with his father. He said he'd call Yumiko, though."

.

"Are you sure it's all right not to tell your parents?" Eiji asked, worrisome eyes staring at Fuji.

Fuji smiled and took a sip of his tea. "I'll tell Yumiko, and she'll tell my mother about it. Yuuta probably would think I'm pulling a prank on him anyway." He said with a soft chuckle.

Eiji knew Fuji and his father weren't on good terms because of Fuji's sexual preference, but he couldn't help but ask, "Your father? You're really not gonna tell him?"

Fuji smiled as if it was only normal to do so. "He's kicked me out; I have no obligations to tell him. If he's not going to see me as a son then I'm not treating him as my father either. It's just that simple."

Eiji cringed inwardly at the coldness in Fuji's words. He could never imagine himself without anyone in his family.

.

That evening when Tezuka got home, Fuji was hunched over his laptop with a perplexed expression. Tezuka walked up behind him and bent at his waist to hug Fuji from behind, taking a peek at whatever was on Fuji's monitor. Some map of Chiba, it seemed.

"Had a long day?" Fuji asked, leaning back against Tezuka, looking up at the bespectacled man with a smile.

"I skived from work and had a long lunch with Oishi today." Tezuka said, serious tone unfaltering. Fuji chuckled, wagging his finger at Tezuka mock reprimanding. "I told Oishi. He's happy and excited for us, but he looked somewhat unbelieving, I thought."

"I told Eiji too, when we met for tea. He got so excited he started planning a bachelor party for me. But I told him everybody would end up running laps, so he finally dropped the idea." Fuji teased, getting out of his seat so that he could hug Tezuka properly.

Tezuka glared down at the shorter man, "Remind me again, why exactly am I marrying you?" he asked, brows furrowed in question.

"Because you can't get enough of me." Fuji answered with a grin, leaning into Tezuka.

"And are you marrying me because you can't get enough of me either?" Tezuka asked.

"Because… I can't get enough of giving myself to you." He said softly, clear blue eyes gazing up at Tezuka.

Tezuka stared into those sparkling pacific's and fell in love with Fuji all over again. It was true, he couldn't get enough of his blue-eyed sweetheart. He cupped Fuji's face in his palms gently and leaned down to claim Fuji's lips. "I want my daily dose of you now…" he muttered against Fuji's lips.

Fuji's lips curved into a smile, "I've got the bath ready for you."

"Still a tensai after all these years." Tezuka said with a small smile, taking Fuji's hand and leading the way to the bathroom.

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_[This section has been removed due to rating issues. To read the smut please go to http:// ruji. livejournal. com / 30962. html # cutid1 (take out the spaces)]_

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"Ne, Mitsu…" Fuji started, tilting his head to look up at Tezuka. "I might have to spend three weeks in Chiba."

Tezuka looked down at Fuji, "Work?" he asked.

Fuji nodded, "They're starting up a sub-company in Chiba, and they want me over to train the new guys and make sure everything is running, so I'll probably have to stay there for a few weeks. No point travelling hours from Tokyo to Chiba everyday…"

Tezuka nodded in understanding. Although Chiba was easily accessible by train from Tokyo, it would be too tiring for Fuji to travel a few hours each day over a span of three weeks. Not to mention his working hours got rather erratic sometimes.

"We'll hold our celebrations after you return then. When are you set to go?"

"End of next week. Seems like the heavens are giving us a test, isn't it?" Fuji said with a soft smile, reaching a hand up to caress Tezuka's face.

"Three weeks without you… what am I to do." Tezuka said with a hint of tease, hugging Fuji tightly.

Leaning comfortably into Tezuka's embrace, Fuji chuckled softly, "Saa… you could go out on play dates with Miyajou-san. I'm sure she'll keep you entertained."

Tezuka glared at the man in his arms. "Are you trying to turn your fiancé straight?" he asked.

A small moan rumbled in the back of Fuji's throat at Tezuka's choice of word. He leaned up to kiss Tezuka passionately.

.

Later that night when they were cuddled up under the sheets, ready for bed, Fuji reached for Tezuka's hand and twined their fingers together. "Ne… let's make a pact." He said in the darkness with his eyes closed.

"What pact?" Tezuka asked, a hint of sleep in his voice.

"Starting from next week, until I come back from Chiba, and until we get married…"

"…we will not have sex?" Tezuka finished Fuji's sentence with what he guessed was on Fuji's mind.

Fuji chuckled, snuggling closer to Tezuka. "Clever boy." He said teasingly.

"I had been thinking about that too. It would be a good chance for us…"

"…to think clearly about it, and back out if any of us decides to." Fuji chuckled again as he completed Tezuka's sentence. This time, Tezuka laughed too.

"Goodnight, Syusuke." Tezuka then muttered, pressing a goodnight kiss to Fuji's forehead and hugging him close.

"Mm… goodnight Mitsu." Fuji mumbled, settling comfortably in his lover's embrace.

.

-end-

-for now-

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[A/N: Belated post! I just keep forgetting to post here. Thanks for reading! More belated posts coming but if you can't wait you can just hop over to my LJ for all chapters to date. As usual, reviews and comments are much loved! :)]


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